


Heavy

by memory_bees



Series: all of my fanfics in one place [10]
Category: The Outsiders - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Boys Kissing, Crying, Gay, I wrote it in like 1hr and 30 mins, Kissing, M/M, The story's shit, kinda sweet ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21540829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memory_bees/pseuds/memory_bees
Summary: It's kinda shit but uhhhhh Steve and Soda gay lol
Relationships: Sodapop Curtis/Steve Randle
Series: all of my fanfics in one place [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1183928
Kudos: 59





	Heavy

Soda had felt numb for months it seemed, a time bomb waiting to explode. Ever since Johnny and Dally died. No one seemed to notice it except Steve. He had tried bugging Soda about it a couple times, but it never worked. Soda always just dodged the subject. They were working the closing shift, Soda had been at the DX all day and was tired from everyone trying to either make friends or get in his pants.

He was just so damn tired.

Steve had noticed that too, and glared at anyone who seemed to be getting too friendly with Soda. The girls who usually hung around Soda like bees around flowers had left when Steve had not so kindly told them they were closing. So, at 11 pm at night, the lights buzzing above them and the sound of Steve quietly counting money, it seemed as if they were the only two people in the Universe.

Soda glanced over at Steve with a bored look on his face and quietly asked, "Can I count a lil bit?"

Steve glanced up at him, saw something in Soda, and nodded. He handed him a stack of bills and went back to counting. It continued on like that for a while, buzzing lights and the shuffling of paper money. They heard a car rumble along outside, Steve's eyebrow twitched at the sound, but other than that it seemed nothing else had happened in the store. Steve had finished his current stack and went to grab some more bills when he heard a helpless whimper next to him and a body slump to the floor.

Steve looked down at Soda, who had fat alligator tears slipping down his perfect face. His hair was all messed up as if he had been running his hands through it, how didn't Steve notice he was doing that? His shoulders were shaking, and he looked zoned out. He wasn't even trying to hide his tears and Steve's chest hurt.

Steve slipped down to sit next to him, and Soda finally looked at him. His eyes were blurry with tears and his lip was wobbling. Steve's breath was heavy in his throat.

"Sorry." Was all Soda choked out and he went to scrub at his eyes.

Steve's eyebrows furrowed, a confused huff of breath from his nose disrupted the thick air around them. Soda swallowed at the sound, Steve cringed internally. Too harsh, he scolded himself, gentle. Gotta be gentle with him.

Steve inhaled and asked, "What're you sorry for? Y'didn't do nothin'." Louisiana thick and heavy on his tongue, hadn't been to visit family there in years, hadn't lived there since he was seven. Still, the accent came out occasionally nonetheless.

"Didn't finish countin' the money. I kept loosin' m' place." The blond mumbled, hiccuping little sobs fighting to not become bawling yells.

Steve bit the tip of his tongue, he knew Soda. Knew him better than he knew himself it seemed like some days. And he knew Soda was a crybaby, but he also knew Soda wouldn't have started crying over that if there was nothing else going on. Maybe tear up a bit and hand over the money to Steve, but not to the point of almost bawling.

"Sodapop Patrick Curtis, what's got you like this?" Steve asked, he tried for the question to come out soft, but his voice snapped. Soda let out another whimper and Steve's chest constricted.

Soda opened his mouth, going to say something, but a sob came out instead. Then another, and another, until Soda was bawling his eyes out and sucking in shaking breaths.

Steve froze for a second, the suddenness of the sobs shocking him for a moment. Once he came back to his senses he grabbed Soda and tugged him into his side. The younger boy curled around him, Steve's shoulder getting soaked. Steve swallowed, tongue heavy and dry in his mouth as he brought his hand up to gently hold onto the back of Soda's head.

Steve inhaled shakily and pressed his temple against Soda's head. His throat was tight, chest hurting. He wanted to make whatever Soda was crying about go away, the Curtis didn't deserve to be this distraught. Soda was breathing funny, nearly hyperventilating one minute and not breathing at all the next.

Steve's arms wound tighter around him and he murmured a soft, "Gotta breath for me, Soda. Deep breaths, in and out. It's alright, I've got you."

Soda tried to comply, although the breath was ragged and sounded painful. Steve whispered a praise anyway.

"Everything's so shit, Steve." Soda finally managed, the words broken up. Steve decided to keep his mouth shut, Soda just wanted to talk. He knew that.

"Everything sucks so fucking much, Ma 'nd Dad, Johnny 'nd Dally, they didn't deserve it. They didn't fucking deserve it." He took in a ragged breath, gripped onto Steve's shirt tighter and let out another ugly sob.

Steve choked on air a bit, how long had Soda been holding this in? Soda never said fuck unless he was really losing it. The brown haired man swallowed roughly and pulled Soda closer to him, holding him tightly.

Soda didn't say anything else, just slowly, so slowly, worked himself down from the chest aching sobs to small dry heaving hiccups. Steve inhaled once the worst part of the storm passed and nosed against Soda's head. Quiet communication learned over years of knowing each other. They knew not to speak for a minute after one of them had calmed down from something like this, to just make small nudges and hums.

Soda looked up at Steve, pretty brown eyes extra deep compared to the redness of the whites of his eyes. There was a frown on his face, and still shiny tear tracks smudged across his cheeks. They held eye contact for a while until Soda reached up to wipe a stray tear off of Steve's cheekbone. He hadn't even noticed the sting in his eyes until then, a gentle sigh leaving his mouth.

"Why're y'cryin' Stevie?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Soda hummed and pressed his forehead against Steve's neck. Blond hairs tickling right above his carotid artery. He could feel the thump of blood beneath his skin, easy and warm as they sat there. The store was silent save for the still buzzing lights above them. It had to be twelve now, Darry'd start worrying soon.

Steve looked down to tell Soda they should hurry and finish cleaning up when suddenly a pair of soft lips pressed against his. It was quick, gentle and almost urgent. It only lasted for half a second before Soda pulled away and started rambling off apology after apology. Steve was dazed, head foggy from the kiss. He kind of wanted another one, if he was being honest.

After a few seconds Soda started to pull away from him and Steve short circuited. He pulled Soda back against his own chapped mouth. Soda responded accordingly and melted against it, his hands coming up to hold Steve's face. They were starting to slip, so the older man pressed his hand against the linoleum floor.

When they finally pulled away from each other Steve gave Soda a confused look. What had prompted the kiss? He wasn't exactly complaining, he just wanted to know why. Soda inhaled and his tongue darted out to wet his lips, the action pulling Steve's eye in like a magnet.

"Been wantin' to do that for a while," Soda whispered as one of his hands slipped from Steve's jaw. "Dunno why I did it now, though."

Steve huffed out a laugh and pulled Soda back against him. Of course it was spontaneous, of course Soda had no idea what he was doing when he did it. Steve always had to have the answers, but sometimes the answer was just that it was Soda.

"We should finish cleaning up, Stevie."

"Yeah, we should."

Soda stood up but Steve grabbed his hand. They made eye contact and Steve sighed.

"Why were y'cryin' Soda?" He asked, gentle gentle gentle, nothing harsh about him this time.

Soda's face fell. He was clearly hoping that the kiss had made Steve forget about his earlier bawl fest. Steve kept looking up at him and stood up, a solid three inches taller than him. They kept staring at each other, neither one clearly wanting to break the silence.

Something went by outside and they both jumped, but Soda sighed and shrugged. Steve knew that would be his final answer and he huffed. Soda was picking up the dollar bills scattered across the counter when Steve pressed a kiss against his head and went to get the broom.

The silence was heavy, but at least they weren't alone.


End file.
